Scouting Report

Folks tend to notice you when you pass LeBron James on a list of achievements. That's just what Kennard did as he eclipsed the Cavs superstar and ultimately wound up as the second-most prolific scorer in Ohio high school history. Two seasons at Duke later, Kennard probably isn't quite a lottery pick, but in a deep draft he should go sometime in the latter half of the first round. Kennard has an excellent feel for the game and a high basketball IQ, but the biggest reason for his upside is shooting ability. That didn't seem like it would be the case after his first year in Durham, when he shot just 42.1 percent overall and 32 percent from behind the 3-point line. With one offseason of work, he bumped those up to 48.9 percent and 43.8 percent, respectively, and all of a sudden he's arguably the best shooter in the draft. Kennard isn't just someone who's going to catch and shoot at the next level, though. His footwork allows him to pull up on the move, and he's very adept at coming off screens and getting his shot off quickly. Besides his improved shooting, he developed a much better handle from the end of his freshman season to his time as a sophomore. What Kennard is not is a great finisher at the rim, something he'll need to improve if he's ever going to be a true top-three player on a championship contender. An even bigger concern is his defensive ability, as he simply lacks the lateral movement to keep better athletes in front of him. That being said, even if he only makes marginal improvement as a defender, Kennard is going to stick around the league for a long time thanks to his shooting prowess.